Excavator



Jan. 14, 1941. wH 2,228,546

' EXCAVATOR Filed Nov. 1, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 w k\ w 7 INVENTOR Thomas 6 Whale/ ET'ILE E 4 /W,

ATTORNEY Jan. 14, 1941. T. c. WHISLVER EXCAVATOR Filed NOK I. 1, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 7h0mas C W/W'j/r ATTORNEY Z Jan. 14, 1941. c. wH E 2,228,546

' V EXcAvA roR Filied Nov. 1, 1958 :s Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 14, 1941 PATENT OFFICE V EXCAVATOR Thomas Whisler, Alameda, Calif assignor to The American Brake Shoe & Foundry 00., Chicago Heights, 111., a corporation of Delaware Application November 1, 1938, Serial No. 238,175

10 Claims.

My invention relates to means for movlng'material such as earth, and is concerned particularly with excavators of the bucket type, especially those utilized in the bucket line or endless chain A bucket of this general character is disclosed in. my Patent No. 2,090,563, issued August 17, 1937. In this patent there is disclosed a dredge bucket body having a removable lip which engages the body through interfitting parts and is releasably held-thereupon by a'pair of nut and bolt fasteners, the arrangement being such that the lip can be readily removed and replaced.

Customarily devices of this character are cast of manganese steel because of the wearing qualities of the metal, but, because this material is dimcult to machine, grinding is virtually the only process which is available for treating the rough castings. This limits the possibilities of design to those which will result in a commercially satisfactory product fabricated of rough castings whichiare machined, if at'all, simply by grinding.

The stresses which are exerted upon the excavator lip in practice are exceedingly severe and are in a direction tending to pry the lip or dislodge the lip rearwardly ofi the bucket. Since the stresses are very great, it is essential that the lip and bucket be interengaged firmly, because if there is an original slight 'play, or if the design is such that slight play subsequently develops, this is very quickly magnified, not only due to working and abrasion between the parts but likewise due to a hammering and peening action to which the material is susceptible.

It ,is therefore an object of my invention to improve in general upon excavators.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved excavator of the type shown in my mentioned patent.

A further object of my invention is to provide an excavator in which adequate clearances between parts are provided for ready assembling and disassembling, yet in which the parts will be so closely interrelated that dislodging strains are resisted without play or wear.

Another object of my invention is to provide dislodgment resisting means in an excavator, which can be machined by grinding so as to provide a substantially accurate metal-to-metal contact for positively holding the parts in the desired location.

Another object of myinvent-ion is to provide an excavator in which there is a separate'lip detachable from the body portion and assemblable therewith in rigid relationship, both the lip and the of buckets forming an important part of a dredger body being fabricated by customary and standard a shop methods.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention are attained in the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, in which Fig. l is a plan of half an excavator in accordance with my invention;

I Fig. 2 is a cross-section the plane of which is indicated by the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-section the plane of which is indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail in cross-section, the plane of which is indicated by the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a detail in cross-section, the plane of which is indicated by the line 55 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged plan of half an excavator as in Fig. 1 but with the lip removed; and

Fig. .7 is a cross-section the plane of which is indicated by the line 1-1 of Fig. 6'.

In its preferred form, the excavator of my in- 2Q vention includes a bucket body having an upper rim extending partially around the body between a pair of lateral recesses and terminating substantially in a plane, with which co-operates a. removable lip having means for interengagement with the recesses and a nether portion in substan: tial registry with thebucket body and terminating substantially in a plane, there being interfltting members on the nether portion and the upper rim for resisting dislodgement of the lip with respect to the body and whichfor that purpose extend out of the general planes of the nether portion and the upper rim.

In the form' of excavator disclosed in the accompanying drawings'there is provided a bucket body 6 which is one of a plurality of similar buckets designed to be arranged in a bucket line for a dredge and having adjacent its lower part a chain formation 1 including a rear eye 8 and a pair of front eyes 9 so disposed that they interengage a rear eye on the next succeeding bucket, so that a bucket pin (not shown) can extend through the inter-engaged eyes for holding the bucket line in appropriate articulation. The bucket body 6 has an interior contour somewhat similar to an ellipsoid of revolution and is provided with a front wall l2 and a back wall l3.

As disclosed in my mentioned patent, the interior lateral walls l4 and I6 are each provided 50 substantially on the transverse axis of the bucket body with a pair of recesses l1 and I8 each of which is partially bounded by an arcuate contour I9 and is partially bounded by an inclined surface 2| which is a chord of the arc. The sur- 55 face 2| merges with a face 23 which runs into the upper boundary 24 of the bucket body.

On its exterior face the-rearward wall l3, particularly in the central portion, is formed with a shoulder 26 which extends substantially half-way around the bucket body and merges with a pair of arcuate surfaces 21 and 28 which run out at the upper wall 24 adjacent and preferably somewhat forwardly of the point at which the surface 23 runs out.

The remaining rearward part of the bucket body wall is preferably defined by an upper rim 3| which extends from the central portion of the bucket body around both sides thereof in the general direction of the recesses |1. This rim 3| is all substantially in'a single plane which is likewise substantially the plane of the surfaces 2|.

Adapted to co-operate with the bucket body and to form a removable assembly therewith is a rivetless lip 4|, like the body preferably fabricated of cast manganese steel. The lip is a somewhat crescent-shaped or C-shaped member, having an intermediate portion 42 which is between a pair of terminal horns 43 extending laterally of the central portion and contoured substantially to interfit with the recesses l1 and to have a slight clearance in connection therewith. Each of the horns 43 has an abutting surface 44 for contact with the surface 2| and is partially bounded by a face 46 complementing the face 23. Preferably, a central protuberance or ledge 49 projects from the interior of the lip sufliciently to overlie the upper rim 3|, so that the lip is in substantial registry with the upper rim, although spaced therefrom.

.The rearward portion of the lip has a depending flange 48 overlying the upper portion'of the rearward body wall but having a reasonable clearance therewith. Thefiange 48 terminates in substantially a. plane aroimd the rear portion of the bucket body but, as it approaches the sides, merges into arcuate surfaces 5| which run out adjacent the upper edge of the body 24 in forwardly spaced relationship to the surface 23. The shoulder 26 underlying the flange 48 at points laterally spaced from the central portion is depressed somewhat to provide a surface 53 which is materially spaced from the surface 5| and which merges with the surface 21 running out adjacent the upper edge of the bucket body 24. There is thus afforded ample clearance between the bucket body shoulder and the lip flange substantially throughout their proximity except adjacent the central portions thereof. Since the surfaces 23 and 21 are offset, there is no straight lateral path from the exterior to the interior of the bucket adjacent the horns 43.

In order that, when the horns are interrelated with their recesses and the lip is rotated substantially into position in registry with the bucket body, the two can be detachably held in place, I provide fastening means preferably constituting a pair of apertured bosses 6| on the lip which cooperate with a comparable pair of apertured bosses 62 on the bucket body to receive a pair of tapered bolts 63 on which nuts 64 are screwed, so that by appropriately tightening the nuts 64, the bosses 6| and 62 can be drawn into approaching relationship and the lip can be moved in the direction of tight engagement with the bucket body.

As so far described, the structure may prove unsatisfactory in some uses because it is practically impossible to have a sufficiently close fit between the various parts so that simply drawing up the nuts 64 will closely relate the lip and the .bucket body. In my mentioned patent I have provided a fulcrum surface so that the lip can be sprung somewhat as a lever during tightening and the parts are relatively well held in position. It is found, however, that under certain severe conditions of service the fulcruming of the lip on the bucket body, although satisfactory in itself, is dis-- turbed by a slight fore and aft translation.

To provide, therefore, a suitable fulcrum yet to preclude any possibility of fore and aft dislodgment of the fulcrum under severe strains, I preferably incorporate, either on the lip or on the bucket body, a projection which interengages a comparable depression on the other member. While either arrangement can be adopted, I have illustrated herein an arcuate fulcrum 1| which projects out of the general plane of the nether planar surface 10 of the lip. The face of the fulcrum 1| extends transversely of the lip and is confined between the depending horns 43 and the depending outer flange 48. Nevertheless, the arcuate form of the projection 1| can be accurately ground by a grinding wheel extending between the horn and the flange.

Corresponding to the contour of the projection 1| on the horn or l'ip is a similar arcuate depression 12 formed in the otherwise monoplanar upper rim 3| of the bucket body. This surface is likewise accurately ground to a substantially perfect metalto-metal contact with thesurface 1|, so

* that an arcuate fulcrum is formed between the lipand the bucket body.

With the parts related so that there is clearance turing practice is to put a feeler gauge between the surfaces 1| and 12 as they are being ground and to-grind them to fit so that the lower portion of the-flange 48, when the lip is assembled on the bucket, is slightly spaced from the surface 26. Then, when the gauge is removed and the nut 64 is tightened, this space is closed by springing the lip slightly on the fulcrum defined. by the arcuate surfaces 1| vand. 12. The resilience of the metal holds the entire assembly in rigid relationship, and any fore-and-aft tendency to move due to a major thrust. in the direction of, the arrow A or in the direction of the arrow B in Fig. 1 is inefiective to move the lip on the body in the direction of the planes 3| or 10 .since such movement is resisted by the projection 1| and the depression 12. With this arrangement, any fore-and-aft play or yielding which in former designs might have imposed severe strains on the fastening means 63, and which might ultimately have resulted in destructive peening or wear on the part in former designs corresponding to the face 5|, is entirely obviated, yet the manufacture of v the faces 1| and 12 is carried out-with standard adapted to be received in fitting depressions in said rim. V

2. An excavator comprising a bucket body having a front and sides and a pair of eyes with parallel axes, a lip having a front and sides adapted to seat on said body, means for fastening said lip and body together, and interengaging projections and depressions at the sides of said lip and body extending substantially parallel to said axes to resist relative motion between said lip and said body in a direction perpendicular to said axes.

3. An excavator comprising a bucket body having an upper rim and a pair of lateral recesses, a detachable lip having a nether portion adapted to seat upon said rim, horns terminating said lip and extending approximately parallel to each other to lodge within said recesses, fastening means engaging said body and said lip, and projections on said nether portion having faces extending perpendicularly to said parallel horns and adapted to abut meeting faces of depressions in said rim to prevent movement of said lip on said rim parallel to said horns.

4. An excavator comprising a bucket body having an upper rim and a pair of lateral recesses; a lip having a nether portion adapted to seat upon said rim, horns terminating said lip and extending substantially parallel to each other to lodge within said recesses, fastening means engaging the central portion of said body and said lip, and integral projections on said nether portion between said horns and said central portion having faces extending perpendicularly to said parallel horns adapted to abut meeting faces of depressions in said rim.

5. An excavator comprising a bucket body having a pair of eyes with parallel axes, said body also having a pair of lateral recesses and an upper rim extending substantially between said recesses and terminating in a plane except for a pair of depressions having faces parallel to said axes, a lip lodged within said recesses and in substantial registry with said rim, projections on said lip having faces parallel to said axes to abut said depression faces on said body, and fasteners en- Basing said body and said lip.

6. An excavator for use with a lip having projections, comprising a bucket body having a pair of eyes with parallel axes, said body also having a pair of lateral recesses and an upper rim extending substantially betweensaid minating substantially in a plane except-for a pair of depressions one adjacent each of said recesses, each of said depressions having a cylindrical face the elements of which are parallel to said axes and are different distances from said plane, said depressions being adapted to cooperate with said lip to resist fore and aft movement of the lip relative to said rim.

7. An excavator comprising a lip for attachment to a bucket body, said lip having a pair of terminal horns extending substantially parallel to each other and having a nether, generally planar portion, between said horns, and a projection outstanding from said nether portion adjacent one of said horns and having a face extending perpendicularly to said parallel horns, said projection being adapted to cooperate with the bucket body to resist fore and aft movement of the lip relative to a rim of the bucket body.

8. An excavator comprising a bucket body having an upper rim terminating substantially in a plane and having a pair of eyes with parallel axes, a lip for said body having a nether portion terminating substantially in said plane, means for detachably fastening said lip and said body, and mutually. interiltting means on said upper rim and said nether portion having faces extending out of said plane and parallel to said axes.

9. An excavator comprising a metal bucket body having a rim terminating substantially in a plane and having a pair of eyes with parallel axes, a

metal lip for said body having a portion terminating substantially in a plane, means for removably mounting said lip on said body, and means on said rim and said portion having faces extending out of the planes thereof and parallel to said axes to interflt with metal-to-metal contact.

10. An excavator comprising a bucket body having an upper rim element and a pair of a C-shaped lip element having a nether portion adapted to register with said rim element and sides terminating in end portions fitting in said fasteners engaging said body and lip element, and a projecting section and a depression section on said elements interfitting to resist relative motion therebetween, one of said sections being located on said nether portion at the side of said 119.

THOMAS C. 

